Sermon Tone Analysis

“The Office” Sermon Outline

 4~/19~/07

Chi Alpha @ OSU

 

Mini-Pre-Sermon:

When God Doesn’t Make Sense

 

I’ve been thinking a lot about what happened at VT.

I think mainly because a good part of my life is working with college students.

That’s the people I love.

So, I kept thinking of all of you, which made it harder.

I don’t know how I would respond, really.

But I think  part of it would be some anger toward God, sadness, confusion, doubt.

I’m pretty sure I’d have some strong words for God.

That’s just the truth.

And God can handle it.

It’s called being human, and living in a sinful world.

We talked in my small group on Tuesday about the problem of evil.

Why is there evil in the world.

It’s a tough issue, and we looked at some scriptures, but there’s just simple a part of that answer we are not going to get until we get to Heaven.

It’ll make sense then.

But we could understand, is that no matter what, we need to keep the most important thing, the most important thing.

That we needed to choose to follow Christ in the midst of evil.

And that these types of events should remind us of how every conversation and every interaction with those who don’t know Christ counts.

For every parent and friend who lost someone, the healing process is going to take some serious time.

It’s a lot harder when someone is so young.

So, as you think about it, and watch the unbelievable amount of news about it, remember to pray for those that are hurting, and pray that we will respond as God wants us to respond to this situation.

(Let’s Pray)

 

Introduction:

Work.

Job.

Career.

Desk.

Food Service.

9 to 5. Coffee.

The Office.

Every single person in this room either has a job right now or will have one soon.

Once you leave school, you’ll hopefully call this job your career.

I hope there’s a difference between your food service job you have now and what you’ve chosen as your career.

I love the TV show “The Office.”

Tricia used to hate it.

But somehow, I got her to watch it too.

How many here watch “The Office?”

I was trying to figure out ways to use that show to bring some humor and examples to my talk today.

I had a hard time.

The truth is, The Office is much closer to reality than you realize (unless you already work in an office environment).

And so is Dilbert.

There’s a reason why these shows~/comics are funny, especially when you’ve worked in the office world.

But whether your future career is in an office, in ministry, on the road, in a hospital, or in another country, there are a couple lessons we can learn from the Bible about what is means to be a good worker.

Not only in your job or career, but in your studies, your ministry, your volunteer efforts, and your family life.

Why am I preaching this?

Unfortunately, the modern perception of people your age is that they don’t work hard.

That they are more interested in having fun and relaxing.

Playing video games and watching TV.

Unfortunately, this is mostly true.

But as Christians, we should aspire to something greater.

Set a different example.

(Read Colossians 3:22-24)

1)      Be thorough (v22)

a)      Slaves: slave as an entity in a socioeconomic context.

Not American slave, but an economic thing.

i)        Very similar to the rest of your life.

Your economic stability depends on your master~/boss.

b)     Do everything you are asked to do

i)        When they are watching: gain their favor

(1)   Nothing wrong with this.

Do good work, make sure it gets noticed, be successful at work.

ii)      When they are not watching: out of reverence~/respect for God (and for integrity’s sake)

/(1)   //A retired guy became interested in the construction of an addition to a shopping mall.

Observing the activity regularly, he was especially impressed by the conscientious operator of a large piece of equipment.

The day finally came when this guy had a chance to tell this man how much he'd enjoyed watching his scrupulous work.

Looking astonished, the operator replied, "You're not the supervisor?"  /

(2)   This does affect your work too.

But our motivation should not be to see how little we can get away with and still be successful in our job, but realizing that God is our real master, and he sees everything.

(3)   We do our work well and thoroughly to please God, not man.

(4)   The reality is, it’s going to catch up with you one way or another.

/c)      //Martin Luther understood this when he wrote, "The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays -- not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps but because God loves clean floors.

The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship."/

2)      Work hard (v23)

a)      Give it everything you’ve got

/i)        //(Greg Kuhl Questions~/Answers)/

/(1)   /Time: 3:17:00.

Pace: 7:31.

Place: 2899 out of about 23,000.

ii)      If you work hard, you will get earthly recognition.

If you don’t, you’ll have a reputation too.

/(1)   //The sign in the store window read: NO HELP WANTED.

As two men passed by, one said to the other, "You should apply--you'd be great."

/

iii)    But this is not the point, work hard because you do it for God.

(1)   A poor work ethic is all about our relationship with God and nothing else.

(2)   If someone doesn’t work hard, is lazy at work, doesn’t work hard in their studies, responsibilities, it tells me a lot about their spiritual condition.

(3)   When we realize all that God did for us, who he is, how much we love and respect him, having a good work ethic will naturally occur.

3)      Be persistent (Genesis 29:14b-30)

/After Jacob had stayed with him (Uncle Laban)  for a whole month, //15// //Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing?

Tell me what your wages should be.”

/

/16// //Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

//17// //Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful.

//18// //Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”

/

/19// //Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man.

Stay here with me.” //20// //So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

/

/21// //Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife.

My time is completed, and I want to lie with her.” /

/22// //So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.